


Armageddon's children

by Sanilla



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Apocalypse, Terry Brooks, cersei mad queen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-17
Updated: 2018-04-09
Packaged: 2019-03-20 07:39:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 15,101
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13713027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sanilla/pseuds/Sanilla
Summary: In a post-apocalyptic future like the one described by Terry Brooks in the series The Genesis of Shannara, there is a small family Stark, that while on its way to the Red Keep looking for the only bulwark left in the hands of men, is attacked just from the creatures from which she is running away, a kind of Others like the GRRM Saga. Sansa then finds herself alone wandering in hostile territory, trying to reunite with her family and find shelter in the fortress. She manages to get help from the mutant Sandor Clegane, the only one who does not try to kill her, who is forced to take her to the Red Fort.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I just have to translate it from Italian to English, so it's completed. Obviously English isn't my first language so be kind. If you find some mistakes or you just have suggestions, comment or whatever, I'll be happy to hear from you!

Gunshots, by those pistols still functioning, but for the most part Sansa remembered coarse swords and clubs. And the screams of her family, her mother trying to protect the little ones, Bran and Rickon, who were crying. Her father told her to run, that they would have reunited at the fortress, with the other families travelling with them. She was scared, so she took the advice, trusting that she would have seen them all when the attack was over.

So she run away, followed by other men and women, all of them with the desire to escape from those who once were men and women like them. Not anymore, now they were ex-men. Some still looking humans, others became something completely different: predators, demons. 

The ex-men attack scattered them (not killed, please, her family couldn’t be dead) while they were travelling to what would become their new home, one of the last fortresses left to humans: the Red Keep. There they would be safe, protected inside solid walls that divided them from the ex-men and in particular from demons, together with all the horrors they carried behind.

Inside the Red Keep they would find also food and water.

Outside the keeps no one survived, not as free man. Neither as man.

However, how long the men of the Keep will last against an army of ex-men?

When they get there, they would find it still standing or reduced to ruins?

This was their last hope, there wasn’t another safe place in which they could find refuge: the army of ex-men and demons destroyed all the fortresses they knew.

But not that one, right? They said that that one was still standing, it had to be like that. The world wasn’t dominated by demons, there remained men not defeated yet.

Her parents told her about the time when you could fine food in stores, water in many fountains. There was a lot of paper and books to fill whole buildings. 

Now food was precious, you could be killed for it. And if you drank from a natural spring, you didn’t remain human for long, you turned slowly but inevitably into a mutant, because there wasn’t pure water anymore. And paper was a long gone memory. Sansa’s father, when she was little, used to read from a book of fairy tales for her to sleep at night. Her favorites stories were about brave knights challenging a thousand dangers to save their ladies, like Florian and Jonquil.

It was Sansa’s most dear treasure but it was burned in a cold night many years before, during a flight like that one. The ex-men founded them and forced retreat the few who remained after the attack.

Like this time. Sansa was forced to run to save her life, she abandoned her little brothers and her parents. Now she was alone, without water nor food, outside, so in enemy territory. She saw the sun set one time already and she found no help, no one that run away like her from the last attack of the ex-men. She walked roads in the middle of nowhere, only some metal scrap, some shrunken tree some times.

But once reached the fortress  she would surely find her parents and brothers, it was their destination. 

Yes, they will be together again, all of them.

Sansa was walking down a street that once was very busy. There still were some abandoned cars, left to rusty iron. She also passed by an old service station with the front totally destroyed. Among the ruins and the debris she saw some tatters, probably with remains of men and women like her. She could see it as if she were there too: the ex-men arriving like a mob, messy but raged and fatal. If they were lucky they wouldn’t fight against any demon. But there were too few men left who could stand on their feet, the walls of the building too thin, the defenses too light. The ex-men entered quickly and then…

Whatever happened there was an old episode now but the horror still made her run away from there.

Her legs gave away already once, making her fall and hurting knees and hands. Her run was stopped again by a sharp fall. Sansa stumbled in some rubble twisting an ankle and she fall down.

She remained some time with her face in the dirt, gathering the last strength to rise. She found a metal pole that helped her slowly and painfully to stand up.

I’m so tired, I should stop to rest.

With the aching ankle she could walk no more, she had to find shelter in those buildings over there.

Perhaps she would have found someone who could help her, someone escaped like her to the ex-men.

Maybe, if she weren’t to tired and sore, Sansa could have seen that those buildings, those ruins, didn’t host no one anymore. Or better, no human being.

Supporting herself on the metal pole, Sansa made her way to the crumbling houses. Some store still had a signboard, so the girl entered the first food store she recognized, unaware of the figures crawling behind her.

She knew well, instead, that she would had to search for a long time in order to find something to drink or eat, because what little remained was hidden secret stocks by someone else.

However hope is the last to die: only a can of food, please.

She was tired and the ankle ached, she wouldn’t last long without food and rest. She had to find it before sunset or the situation would get desperate.

While she watched on the old shelves of the store, she drove back the tears only because she couldn’t find anything with cloudy eyes.

"Come on, there must be something left!" she said while opening with a yank a closet hidden among a bunch of debris fallen from the ceiling.

"Sure, we are what’s left!"

Sansa turned abruptly and she put too much weight on the ached ankle, ending slumped against the closest she just opened with much effort.

"You trapped yourself, I can’t believe we had such luck, it doesn’t often happen that the food jump in your mouth of his own accord!"

Two lizards.

Stupid, I should have known. I had to be more careful.

But it was too late, in that city there was a den of lizards, who had the intention of eating her.

They didn’t look like men anymore, they both had all the skin completely leathery, like the lizards. Nor they had a scrap of humanity in them: they plundered and killed anyone. It was said that they ate people because in their madness they thought they could regain human form, losing their lizard skin. Or simply because they were hungry.

However they walked upright and they still could talk the human language, even if among themselves they used another one. They were dressed tatters they found around or what they stole from the fools travelling alone. Like her.

I will never see my family again, I will never see a real fortress, I will never have a future. I will be eaten.

In the depths of despair she started to cry.

"No… you can’t…please…it can’t end like this…please, have mercy"

"Mercy, you ask?" answered a lizard, "mercy doesn’t exist anymore, you haven’t noticed? You eat or you are eaten."

"And you will be eaten" the other said smiling, with a step towards her.

Sansa then started to rise leaning on the closet behind her but the two lizards were quicker and pushed her down again.

"Where do you want to go, there’s only us. And we are stronger than you, don’t you think?"

In the fall, Sansa found with her hand the metal pole on which she leaned arriving there. So it was her instinct that made her lift the pole against the closer lizard, that fell down surprised.

She lifted a second time her weapon on the other lizard, but he was prepared: he blocked her, snatched the pole from her hands and hit her on her side.

"Give up, girl, you can’t win"

"I don’t want to win anything, I just want you to let me go."

The lizard answered hitting her on her other side, but in that moment the ceiling on them crashed suddenly. With the ceiling remains, fell on the two lizards a figure with a worn cloak.

Sansa quickly shook away the debris, that luckily didn’t hit her directly, but she remained petrified in fear.

The figure fallen from the upper floor was a third lizard but he didn’t turned on her, he instead continued toward the other two lizards, that were quickly standing up again.

"Man, this is our territory, go aw…"

The lizard couldn’t finish his warning that a machete appeared in the newcomer’s hands and he put it in the lizard’s chest. He pulled it out from the corpse and cut the head of the second lizard.

Sansa watched the scene in front of her with horror. If before she was afraid not what?

This new lizard was a lot savage than the other two and he killed his kind with such a speed, Sansa had never seen a like before.

She still had her eyes blocked on him, who cleaned his machete and searched the two corpse for something useful. It seemed like he wasn’t aware of the girl sitting on the rubble.

It is my only chance.

She tried to stand up without making a noise but the aching ankle betrayed her, so she made a groan of pain. The lizard turned and looked at her.

He wasn’t totally a lizard but most of his face was already consumed by the mutation. The lizard fully transformed didn’t have human features or any hair, this one instead had long black hair. But once she saw his ferocious eyes she couldn’t watch anything else. He wouldn’t give her a chance, Sansa couldn’t run away this time. She was terrified.

What did that lizard want to do to her? He would have eat her, like the other two?

In the meantime he stood up and approached her.

"Please, please…"

In few strides he was near enough to do anything to her, he stood tall on her.

She was too frightened to do anything than going further in the corner, she didn’t want to be touched by this lizard.   

Then he reached out a hand and she took her head in her hands, crying.

"Please, mercy"

The girl heard the lizard taking something from her back and going away.

Only when she heard his steps far away, she lifted up her head and saw him, wrapped in his cloak and with some can of food in his hands, while going out the door.


	2. Chapter 2

What had just happened? Who was that strange lizard? Why was she still alive? 

_ Not that I don’t appreciate it, absolutely. _

But there were more urgent matters now, she had a second occasion and she had to pay attention from now on.

First, the lizards said that this was their territory, so there were more of them probably. She had to go, quickly. 

Second, she was hungry and thirsty. Maybe there were some cans left in the closet she opened before the arrival of the two lizards. And from where he took away those cans…

In facts, she just had to search a little more and she found two cans of fruits.

Despite the strong desire to open them, with a glance at the two corpses before her she took another decision.

Better to get out of here now.

She found her metal pole to walk and with the two cans under her arms she went out. She didn’t expect to find the lizard with the cloak waiting outside for her, but she was glad when, looking outside, she saw that the street was desert. She was safe for now.

She found that the Sun was nearly setting and, after what she had just endured, she didn’t want to remain outside in the dark.

Then, she decided to continue in the direction she started and cross the city till the opposite side.

The road was long because she couldn’t lean on an ankle, but Sansa clenched her teeth and was able to arrive at the end of the street that it wasn’t dark yet. The city ended in a steep slope but the street continued straight on a bridge, that crossed another street down below.

Sansa watched around her in order to find a hiding place to rest for the night. Turning right there was a street running between the slope on the left and some houses on the right. She walked till a garage attracted her attention: it looked rather tough but there were little glass windows in which she could easily pass through but a big lizard couldn’t.

Sansa stepped near it, happy to finally rest safely.

She broke the glass with her metal pole, she swept the glass shards, and she crawled in the garage.

Before her there was a car, rather old and unused since long ago but it seemed in good shape. On the left wall there was a table full of stuff and beyond the car a door. Looking behind her, she saw the garage door from which she had just entered and noticed that the keys were still hanging with a cord at the side of the lock.

Well, everything seemed very easy. Start the car, open the door and run as fast as you could from that lizard-infested city. The car was solar powered, a stroke of luck because it was the only type that still worked. She wondered, however, if she managed to turn it on, since the accumulators were missing. Maybe they were in that pile of junk leaning against the left wall, or maybe they were lost. Approaching, however, she saw that what at first sight she had mistaken for a heap of junk, was actually an old but complete kit for a refugee fleeing far from the cities, as some did to escape from diseases and mutants. Perhaps those who had prepared it had not had time to use it, so it had remained there unused …

Sansa did not believe that there was escape from the fortresses, the diseases were everywhere, it was impossible to grow even a small vegetable garden and a single family could not resist against an army of ex-men outside solid walls.

In her situation, however, she could find something useful. She did not know exactly how far the Red Keep was, but if she could get the car working she would not have to trudge on a crutch.

In any case it was not a job to do now, she would only make noise and could have attracted unwanted attention from someone outside. And then, what she most craved was actually just settling into the back seats of the car and enjoying her food.

Those seats were a soft feather bed for Sansa compared to what she had spent in the last days. She settled herself, paying attention to the ankle and devouring a box of food in a moment. With an extreme effort of will, she left the last box aside for the next morning, at least the thirst had calmed down a little. The next day she would look better for something edible behind the door at the back of the garage. Anyone who had lived there had prepared well, there was certainly a hidden supply of food somewhere.

Those discoveries had brought Sansa's optimism back and they had temporarily put aside the terrible memories of that day, as if they were locked in a drawer of memory. She felt safe hidden there, she did not think that someone could get through the window of the garage, did not even think that someone had seen her enter there.

Stretching on the car seats, she managed to fall asleep immediately. However, nightmares were not long in coming.

She was still with her parents and their traveling companions, heading for the fortress. They laughed and joked, forgot about the ruin around them.

Suddenly shouts, her father hugging her and telling her to run away, promising that they would find each other again.

But he was no longer her father, he was changing, he was becoming a lizard. The skin covered itself with spots, the hands that a moment before were so reassuring, became long and sharp. One closed around her neck and in the other a long machete appeared.

Then she saw his eyes ...

She woke up stifling a cry and touching her throat.

Stay calm and breathe, see? You're still in your car, you're safe, there's no one here.

True, there was no one there with her, but she heard noises coming from outside. Voices.

They were far away though, and she could not recognize the words. Who could it be?

Maybe some survivors like me after the demons attack! 

_ Oh, it must be like that, or I will never make it through these desolate lands! _

She struggled out of the car, still holding onto his metal pole.

When her brain was completely free of her brief sleep, another thought came from a little voice at the back of her head: and if they were once again some lizards, who came looking for their companions?

_ It doesn’t matter, I have to go see, even if there is only a remote possibility of finding help, I have to check. _

Determined then to see who those rumors belonged, crawled out of the garage. In front of her, over the road, the slope that she noticed that afternoon came down. Down there she heard the voices that had drawn her out.

She then crossed the road to get past a low fence that bounded the slope and take a closer look.

Looking down she saw only the night, and no light except that of the stars.

But here she could hear the voices better, they talked quietly.

That's why she had not managed to decipher the words before, what she heard coming from down there were the verses with which the lizard spoke to each other! They had indeed come to look for their companions!

The panic then took hold of her, her legs became soft, and she was about to fall when she felt a big hand on her mouth and an arm around her chest.

"Not a word," whispered a voice in her ear, a harsh, scraping voice.

He was a massive presence, who held Sansa firmly against himself, succeeding in lifting her up and carrying her away from the descent, back onto the road. A short stretch that seemed interminable.

"Do you want to kill us both, girl? Even a dull lizard would have noticed you. "

As soon as Sansa felt free from the iron grip of the man, she pushed forward to get away at once, and leaned back against the wreckage of an old car, abandoned like others along the road.

Keeping her ankle lifted from the ground, she looked at the figure that had dragged her away: crouched behind the low fence, he looked carefully towards the slope (can he really see something in this darkness?). And Sansa seemed to recognize the worn cloak. But when he turned to her to talk, she was sure.

"Shit, they'll find out I was here to keep an eye on them. You screwed up my plans, little girl, do you know what that means?"

"You..." she replied, stepping back, "You are the lizard that killed the other two, before... "

He rose with surprising speed, and it was enough for her to see him standing in front of her, to take another two steps back, looking for shelter behind the old car on which she supported herself.

"Do I scare you?" he said approaching. "You are wondering if you could escape? Or if you end up cut in two in the middle of the road? Or would you rather prefer to be sold to slavers?"

It took him a couple of long strides to come face-to-face with Sansa, who looked at him helplessly and unable to speak. It towered over her like a mountain, but on that dark night, more than seeing it, she remembered her face disfigured by the mutation, she still saw it clearly.

"Choose the way to die that you prefer, I don’t give a shit"

He passed her and left in the night, among the ruins of the city.


	3. Chapter 3

It was already the second time that Sansa found herself face to face with that half-lizard (though Sansa had never dared to look at him in the eyes). The only memories made her legs tremble: the speed with which he unsheathed his machete, the ease with which he freed himself from his adversaries. His face was almost all leathery and also his hands were those of a lizard.

However, both times she had remained alive and incredibly unharmed, he had not touched her.

On closer inspection, both times her condition had definitely improved: he had saved her from two bad encounters with the lizards. Also, both times she got into trouble looking for help. And if she stayed there, the lizards down the the slope would take little time to find her.

Is this the only help I'll ever find? A strange lonely lizard?

He already had lots of chances of killing her, she felt to risking it again?

With a momentum, Sansa broke away from the car wreck and ran limp in the direction she had seen him taking. She wanted to call him “lizard”but that would have been a little rude, so she limited herself to:

"Hey, please, stop!"

No answer, and Sansa barely saw the road ahead of her.

"Where are you, I need to talk to you!"

He would already be far away now, with my limping gait I will never find him again. 

Sansa paused disconsolately and looked around, with the faint hope of seeing him somewhere.

"You really want to kill yourself, why are you screaming like this?"

Sansa turned and saw him leaning against the wall of an old house, wrapped in his shabby cloak.

"Your cry for help could reach the wrong people."

"I apologize."

"Save the courtesy, girl, let's hurry up. What do you want?"

Those words so harsh threatened her determination but the girl continued:

"My name is Sansa, I'm trying to find my family. An ex-men's attack separated us while we were heading for the Red Keep."

"Well, best wishes for your search, but if you're lucky your family is already dead and will not try to eat you the next time they see you."

He was about to disappear again among the old buildings but Sansa was not willing to lose hope ... even as far as her family was concerned.

"No, wait! I need your help to get to the fortress, I'll never make it alone."

"No, little girl, you would never make it. So why should I help you? It would be just a waste of time. "

"There's a car hidden in a garage. If you help me it will be yours."

The man turned to her but was still not convinced:

"There are very few cars still working, what makes you think that yours still walk?"

Sansa answered, lowering his eyes:

"Well, I do not know, but it's solar-powered."

"Listen, girl," he said, approaching her, "it works or it doesn't, I have no time to waste! Do you think those fucking reptiles are gone? They will be here shortly, if they aren't already nearby. "

"It's a well-hidden place, even if the car doesn't go, the lizards would not find us and they would believe us already far away. Please, I need your help!"

This time it was Sansa who closed the distance between them and gathered enough courage to fix her eyes in his.

"Please."

He stood looking at her. He had the features distorted by the mutation and anger with which he had spoken to her a moment before.

When Sansa thought she had convinced him to help her, he surprised her by giving her a strong push, sending her against the nearest wall.

As if that were not enough, he also put a hand on her mouth to stop her from speaking.

"Fucking reptiles," he said and crushed with her against the wall.

The half-mutant leaned forward to look into the side lane behind them and, as before, Sansa felt him whispering in her ear:

"If you don’t make noise, we still have a chance to escape those lizards. But if you can’t, I’m not going to be killed for you, you hear me? "

Sansa, his hand still covering her mouth, nodded her head.

Then he suddenly left her and walked quickly in the direction from which they had come, just as Sansa recognized the first sound of footsteps coming from the dark street around the corner.

She then hurried to follow him, even though for each of his step, the girl had to make two.

Her ankle hurt, but the pain was like in the distance, because all her concentration was focused on not losing sight of the half-lizard: she did not want to let slip the little hope she had found in him. Yes, it frightened her, and she was not even sure he would not leave with the car, leaving her alone in the middle of nowhere. Not to mention his lizard nature: how long would it take before the mutation turned him completely? Sansa was really safe with him?

She had just formulated this thought that she saw him stop and turn around to look at her.

"We're here, come in and open the door."

He had stopped right in front of the garage where she had hidden for the night. How did he know?

"Quickly." He looked around as Sansa entered through the low window of the garage, put the key in the lock and opened the door.

He entered quickly and closed immediately behind him, leaving the keys in the lock.

Sansa, having let him in, had remained motionless in front of him, without knowing what would happen. They looked at each other in the dark for a few moments. It was he who spoke first:

"You checked what's behind that door over there?"

Sansa turned to look and said, "No, it's closed."

He then approached the door at the back of the garage and, finding it locked as she had said, gave it a violent shove. Then the door gave way, revealing a faint glow behind a door at the end of a corridor.

"There is someone!" Sansa whispered.

"Little girl. Where did you think you were? In your pretty little bedroom?"

She had entered into a house inhabited by someone without checking first. And the recent experiences no longer gave her the illusion of the nature of this new inhabitant of the city.

Sansa at that point just wanted to turn on the car and leave, but the half- lizard stepped forward decisively, with one hand inside the cloak, certainly on the hilt of the machete. There was no choice but to follow him closely.

They walked all the way into the light, like two moths, and were almost at the other door when a friendly voice invited them to enter:

"Welcome, in what can I help you? You will certainly be thirsty. Take a seat, do not be afraid"


	4. Chapter 4

Sansa did not believe her ears. She had finally found a bit of civilization in that mad country. And certainly, she was very thirsty! She stepped forward to the man sitting placidly near the faint glow of a candle but was stopped by a light hand on her shoulder. She turned to the lizard at his side, who were looking at the man near the candle, shaking his head.

"I'm afraid your friend is right, miss, it would not be wise to approach me."

Was that old man a threat? Sansa could hardly believe it, but looking better she saw his face covered with red spots.

"I'm very contagious. But first thing first"he said, getting up painfully." My name is Aemon, who do I have the pleasure to talk to?"

"Please to meet you, sir, my name is Sansa," said the girl, finally finding herself at ease. "And he is…"

She looked at the half-lizard at her side.

Incredibly, she had begged his help without even asking his name. It had not been very nice of her. However, he saved her further embarrassment.

"My name is Sandor."

"Ah, the fearsome Hound! If I still had working eyes I would have recognized you!"

"What do you make of the candle light if you're blind?"

"It’s for you. I heard you coming when you threw the door down."

Sansa looked at the scene in amazement. She had known him only that day but it seems that old Aemon already knew the Hound. The Hound. If it wasn’t enough to look at his disfigured face or the other half heated with rage, knowing the name would do the rest. There had to be very few who survived his machete. Sansa had had a proof of it.

Meanwhile the other two men kept talking:

"You have made a fine end, you and your Night’s Watch. You were convinced that you could stop the demons and instead look at you now. You're dying. "

"We have failed our task, yes. But it doesn’t mean that I can no longer be of any help. "

He leaned hardly over a shelf and pulled out two sealed bottles of water, resting them on the table in the middle of the room. Then he sat down again.

The Hound reached the table and took the two bottles of water. He handed one to Sansa and then attached himself to his, finishing it in few sips.

"Ah, I wish it was wine."

"Me too "said the old Aemon," but you have to make with what you have. "

"Who were the Night’s Watch?" Sansa asked between a sip of water and the other.

"We were a group of free men, with the sole purpose of stopping the advance of demons and ex-men," said Aemon. "We had no family, because the demons had taken everything away from us. But we did not want to give up. We wanted to defend the realm of men from the darkness of demons."

"But half of you died and the other half gave in, becoming ex-men. You failed." interrupted the Hound, making fun of him.

"It’s not all lost until There still are free men," Aemon replied.

"As you say. Does the car still work in the garage?"

"Of course, there is everything you need. You can take it, I don’t use it anymore. Please forgive me now, but I'm tired. You can stay here as long as you wish, no one will bother you in my house."

"Thank you so much, sir," replied Sansa gratefully. She was really exhausted and could not wait to lift her leg up and give relief to her injured ankle.

Aemon stood up and reached for a door, disappearing into another room. He had left the candle lit on the table in the middle of the room. There were also the armchair and a sofa, which seemed extremely comfortable. But there was one thing left:

"I'm sorry, I forgot to ask your name"

"Stop  talking, I'm tired" the Hound extinguished the candle blowing on it, sat on the armchair and seemed to fall asleep immediately.

Sansa then went to sit on the couch left free but was reluctant to fall asleep so close to that half-lizard. The Hound. Until now, he had not tried to kill her, nor to rob her, nor to sell her to slavers. But he was still a lizard, and she was still afraid of him. He had not agreed to help her, he was only there to get out of the way, where the other lizards were looking for him too. In the dark she tried to make out his figure from the rest of the room but it was terribly difficult. At any moment she feared to see him get up and unsheathe his machete, and then point it to her throat.

But nothing happened. He continued to sleep, or at least stood still sitting on the armchair. In the dark she also had difficulty seeing if he had his eyes open or closed.

Sansa continued to struggle with sleep for a long time but got the worst and fell asleep.

 

She woke up the next morning without recognizing the room she was in. She rose with a start, then her mind cleared from the last strides of sleep and remembered what had happened the day before: she had found unexpected help from an old member of the Night’s Watch and a ferocious mutant.

I will meet my family, we will all meet at the Red Keep. The Hound will accompany me, right?

Sansa looked around. The windows were partly sealed and did not let in so much light, but the girl immediately knew she was alone in the room. No noise even from Aemon's room.

Where were they? Was the lizard gone? Had he done something to Aemon?

She approached the garage slowly, where she hoped to see the car again, and maybe even Aemon. She put her hand on the handle of the garage door.

Aemon, yes, he said he would help her.

The Hound instead said nothing of the sort.

"What you're doing here?"

Sansa turned and found herself face to face with the Hound. In fact more face to chest, to look at him in the eye she had to look up. It was only the second time she saw him in the sunlight. She closely saw his mutation, which was consuming half his face. With it she also saw in her mind the bodies of the lizard broken by his machete.

"Did you find anything interesting in my face?" He asked, leaning over her.

"No, no. You took me by surprise, I didn’t think you were here."

"Yes, if you continued to sleep, I would have left. It's late girl and the road is long."

"So you will accompany me to the Red Keep?"

"If your family is still alive we will make an exchange."

"Exchange?"

"They would be glad to have you back, right?"

"Sure."

"Then they'll even be willing to give me something in exchange for their precious daughter." The Hound passed behind her and entered the garage. "Now let's go."


	5. Chapter 5

When Sansa followed the Hound in the garage, he protested that he realized she has slept for a long time, because she saw inside the car some food and water from Aemon's pantry and the accumulators were already mounted. They were really ready to leave.

"Come on, get in the car and bind that ankle" the Hound threw a piece of cloth.

Sansa obeyed and sat down in the rear seats of the car, in order to have more space to pull up the leg to wrap it up. The Mastiff meanwhile opened the garage door and sat in the driver's seat.

"Let's see if Aemon tricked us" he said.

After a few attempts, the machine turned on and Sansa sighed with relief.

"Close the garage with the key" said the Hound after driving out the car.

Sansa did as he was told, got out and went to close the garage. The key was tied to the inside lock, so once closed it came out of the window that she had broken to enter the night before. When she got back in the car, she did not even have time to close the door that the Hound had already started at great speed.

"Hey, could you go slower?"

"If you haven’t noticed, we already have too many eyes on us. A running car would make anyone hungry."

Looking around, Sansa saw the old buildings, some collapsed, others still standing. She had no trouble imagining them inhabited by mutants, like the lizards he had already met. A shiver ran through her back.

But the Hound made the car run quickly and they found themselves far from the city in a short time. Sansa was still sitting in the back seats and found herself watching her strange driver. When she found him behind her at the garage door she felt a mixture of fear and relief. He had not run away with the car, in fact he was escorting her to the Red Keep. But they had left so quickly, without saying goodbye to Aemon. She was still not sure whether or not to trust that mutant.

"I did not see Aemon this morning."

"He got up to give me something for the trip, he does not need it. Then he came back to sleep."

"What happened to him?"

The Hound turned briefly to look at her then said:

"I didn’t do anything to him, if that's what you ask. But he's old, blind, lonely and sick, it's a miracle he's still alive."

Sansa continued to watch the Hound. He was still wearing his worn cloak but had put the machete on the side of the seat, so that it was easy to grab when needed. Unlike the mantle, the Hound’s weapon was in good conditions. They were not very common weapons, it was the first time that Sansa saw one like that.

"It's just a machete, you do not have to be afraid of it." The Hound looked at her from the rearview mirror "You should be scared of who carries it. Do I scare you?”

Yes, it scared her, but she could not say anything.

“You should.”

”But you said you would bring me back from my family ... ”

"You should not trust people so blindly."

Sansa found herself missing the words. What was happening?

The Hound turned once more to her and said:

”You will not get to your Keep if you don’t eat something.”

The Hound tossed the box of fruit that he had left aside the night before and Sansa opened it absently.

"Will you take me to my family?"

"I'll bring you near the Red Keep, but then you'll be by yourself, I would not go into that cage even if I could."

He had contracted the mutation, the men of the fortresses banned anyone who showed signs of disease or mutation, fearing the risk of contagion. Even if they were children.

Maybe he too was kicked out when he started to become a lizard.

"I'm sorry for your mutation."

"I already told you, spare me your courtesies. You'll have to be sorry when you're in the Keep. You'll be like a nice little caged bird. Do you think those walls serve to keep the demons out? No, they are used to keep you inside. You'll pretend the world is still normal, before the army of ex-men knocked at your door. And then it will be too late. No thanks, that kind of life is not for me."

The journey proved to be very long and without other words spent. They saw the Sun reach the zenith and they followed it on its descent to the west. The Hound had not yet stopped when they found the blinding Sun before them, nearing sunset. A ball of fire that they tried to resist to see the road and get around any obstacles and debris.

The Hound then changed direction to a small group of trees, and turned off the engine once it got in the middle.

"The darkness and these trees should provide enough hiding." 

Then he got out of the car and stretched his arms and neck. Even Sansa could not wait to go out and move her legs. Her ankle was improved and she could walk almost normally. She tried to take a walk in that grove. Grove was a big word, the trees were shriveled and the few leaves that grew were more gray than green.

The mantle of the Hound was the same color as the trunks, so Sansa was surprised when she saw him leaning against a tree near her. He stared east, in the direction from which they had come. Sansa neared  his side but not too close and the side without mutation, and he looked at the distant horizon too, without seeing anything strange.

"It seems that no one has followed us," he said.

"Not bad, tonight maybe be a quiet night."

The Hound answered her with a snort and walked to the side of the grove that gave north, then went back into observation. She followed him, wondering if the mutation gave him a sharpest sight. She remembered how he moved easily in the dark last night. 

He stared at the desert for a while and moved south.

"Stop following me."

"Excuse me, I just wanted to stretch my legs." Sansa replied, immobilising herself on the spot.

He looked closely to the south, then went to the illuminated part of the grove, which faced west. This time it was partially covered behind a tree.

"Look," he said.

Sansa then went to peer from behind another tree.

"Over there is your Red Keep."

The sunlight was blinding and it made her eyes water, but she could see what looked like a little hill on the horizon.

Unable to look at the Sun any longer she turned and leaned her back against the trunk.

Sh wonder if her family was already waiting for her. How many of their friends managed to escape from the ex-men's attack? They were all fine? His father, his mother, Bran, Rickon ...

"And here's the army."

Sansa looked at him and he pointed his finger far to her right. Sansa then approached him to see better. There was a smaller point on the horizon, for what she could see it could be anything.

"Maybe these aren’t the demons, maybe it's something else, "said Sansa hopefully.

"Don’t fool yourself, it's the army that is marching towards the Red Fort. Even a little bird like you should know that the purpose of demons is to make the human race disappear. Perhaps you will be able to enter the fortress just in time to witness the siege firsthand."

"Why are you always so hateful? Does it give you joy to scare people?"

The Hound stepped closer to her and with one hand under his chin forced her to look towards the advancing army.

"Look, little bird, look good. Do you think it's the cavalry that came to rescue you from the demons? Or your parents looking for you?"

The Sun, despite having begun to set, was still blinding. Perhaps that was why Sansa was crying.

With the hand of the Hound squeezed under his chin she had difficulty in swallowing the lump in her throat.

"I know that the ex-men are marching towards the Fortress. I'm scared! Is this what you wanted to hear? I'm scared!"

The Hound then let her go and took a step back.

"Good. Then you should have understood that now: I'm not the one to be afraid of."


	6. Chapter 6

The sun had finally set and Sansa was sitting on a small trunk that she had found not far away and dragged near the car. It was slightly more comfortable than the dirty ground. The Hound left after having forced her to watch the army of demons. Sansa cried for a long time and in silence, for her family and for her sad situation. The next day would be another unbearable journey like the one that had brought them there and hoped to be able to reach the Red Keep as soon as possible, she didn’t want to be alone with the Hound.

_... I'm not the one to be afraid of… _

Sansa had seen the Red Keep and straining a little she could now see the fires lighting the sentries on the walls, to drive away the night. He had also seen the army. He knew they were marching on the Keep, that they would not stop until they had razed it to the ground and killed all those who lived there.

But it could not finish everything there, it was not right. Aemon had told him about the Night’s Watch, surely there was someone else willing to fight in the Fortress. Was humanity really condemned?

"Have you eaten anything yet?" 

The Hound appeared from the dark, as usual, making her wince.

"No" was her only reply.

The Hound reached the car and took some canned food. He threw one at Sansa and then sat down on the hood of the car to eat. Through the cloak, Sansa saw that he had the machete tied at the waist.

They ate in silence but at one point the Hound said:

"You should rest, I want to leave early tomorrow to avoid being close to the army of demons."

"You could ask the Fortress men for some weapon, or some water. I'm sure they'd leave you something. "

"No, I already told you, I will not be in those cages. Who do you think gave me the nickname Hound? I was their dog, I did their dirty work. I had a team of soldiers to go out with to look for food, water, medicine, anything the man of the Keep needed. These were not easy things to find and most of the time we stole from someone else: gangs of criminals, street children, mutants. We took everything simply because we were stronger and better organized, but we all suffered the same hunger. They believed they had more rights, "Fortress is the last bulwark of civilization and humanity," they said. The truth is that we were ordinary thieves and if I have to be a thief, I prefer to do it my way."

"They did not exile you when you started the mutation?"

He looked up at her. Despite the thin branches of the trees, the night was dark but Sansa still felt the penetrating gaze of the Hound.

"They did not officially exile me, I was too useful. But they made sure I got there by myself."

Then he raised the hood of his cloak and opened the rear door of the car.

"Stop chatting, I drove all day and now I want to sleep. Get up."

Sansa then got up and entered the door that he closed behind her. Then he too sat in the driver's seat, locked all the doors and with a long sigh seemed to fall asleep.

The Hound must have pulled a blanket out of the trunk because Sansa found it resting on its back. Once it was white, but now the color was off and the fabric ruined. Sansa lied down under it, then fell asleep.

 

The next morning, Sansa awoke with the noise of the door closing. She stood up on her arms to see out the gray coat of the Mastiff disappearing behind a tree. The sun had not raised yet and the light was dim.

She was about to come back to sleep when she saw in the trees other gray cloaks like that of the Hound.

Her sight played bad jokes at that time of the morning.

Hiding herself better inside the car, she searched again for the gray cloaks camouflaged among the trees. She recognized the other grey cloaks because they were cleaner than the Hound’s one but there was no doubt that once his own had that color and shape.

Not knowing what to do, Sansa pulled the blanket over her head, hoping to go unnoticed. In horror, though, he saw a man approach the car. But she saw that he wasn’t an ex-man, nor a mutant and she took up courage.

"Well," the man said, opening the door, "you need help, miss?"

"Yes, I'm trying to get to the Red Keep, there should be my family there."

"We're a part of the City Watch and we'll take you there. My name is Mandon Moore."

Meanwhile his comrades with their cloaks hovered among the trees.

"You have a nice little thing here," said the man, stepping into the driver's seat, "did you work it alone?"

"No, it's not mine"

"Who was driving then?"

"Here's who, our old friend Clegane!"

Sansa saw the other two men holding the Hound, taking him to them. The man who spoke immediately attracted Sansa's attention: she had golden hair and was smiling at her. He was on the left of the Hound, whose expression was rather grim and angry. The comparison couldn’t be more bewildering.

"Are you coming to visit us at the Red Keep?" Mandon asked, stepping out of the car. 

In response, the Hound freed his right hand, with which he punched his nose.

He was also about to hit the third man on his left, who, however, already had a stick in his hand, which knocked down on the neck of the Hound, causing him to collapse to the ground unconscious.

"Jamie Lannister, to serve you" said the man making a bow. "You've just met Mandon Moore, and the one who loose his hold on Clegane is Preston Greenfield."

"I didn’t lost, Clegane caught me off guard."

"Do not underestimate him anymore or you will find a knife at your throat the next time."

"What will happen to him?" Asked Sansa. The Hound had been hard on her but had accompanied her here, it was her fault if he had been captured.

"You're safe now, you don’t have to worry about him anymore. He will come with us to the Keep, where he will be judged for his crimes. "

"If I can ask, what crimes did he commit?"

"Desertion and murder," he replied. "But do not worry, there is still justice at the Red Keep."

"And if you are lucky, you will also find your family", Mandon smiled and accompanied her to the car, while the other two loaded the body of the Hound in the back seat, not without difficulty, and sat to the side.

"Come home, men!" Said Jamie.


	7. Chapter 7

The sun had finally set and Sansa was sitting on a small trunk that she had found not far away and dragged near the car. It was slightly more comfortable than the dirty ground. The Hound left after having forced her to watch the army of demons. Sansa cried for a long time and in silence, for her family and for her sad situation. The next day would be another unbearable journey like the one that had brought them there and hoped to be able to reach the Red Keep as soon as possible, she didn’t want to be alone with the Hound.

_... I'm not the one to be afraid of… _

Sansa had seen the Red Keep and straining a little she could now see the fires lighting the sentries on the walls, to drive away the night. He had also seen the army. He knew they were marching on the Keep, that they would not stop until they had razed it to the ground and killed all those who lived there.

But it could not finish everything there, it was not right. Aemon had told him about the Night’s Watch, surely there was someone else willing to fight in the Fortress. Was humanity really condemned?

"Have you eaten anything yet?" 

The Hound appeared from the dark, as usual, making her wince.

"No" was her only reply.

The Hound reached the car and took some canned food. He threw one at Sansa and then sat down on the hood of the car to eat. Through the cloak, Sansa saw that he had the machete tied at the waist.

They ate in silence but at one point the Hound said:

"You should rest, I want to leave early tomorrow to avoid being close to the army of demons."

"You could ask the Fortress men for some weapon, or some water. I'm sure they'd leave you something. "

"No, I already told you, I will not be in those cages. Who do you think gave me the nickname Hound? I was their dog, I did their dirty work. I had a team of soldiers to go out with to look for food, water, medicine, anything the man of the Keep needed. These were not easy things to find and most of the time we stole from someone else: gangs of criminals, street children, mutants. We took everything simply because we were stronger and better organized, but we all suffered the same hunger. They believed they had more rights, "Fortress is the last bulwark of civilization and humanity," they said. The truth is that we were ordinary thieves and if I have to be a thief, I prefer to do it my way."

"They did not exile you when you started the mutation?"

He looked up at her. Despite the thin branches of the trees, the night was dark but Sansa still felt the penetrating gaze of the Hound.

"They did not officially exile me, I was too useful. But they made sure I got there by myself."

Then he raised the hood of his cloak and opened the rear door of the car.

"Stop chatting, I drove all day and now I want to sleep. Get up."

Sansa then got up and entered the door that he closed behind her. Then he too sat in the driver's seat, locked all the doors and with a long sigh seemed to fall asleep.

The Hound must have pulled a blanket out of the trunk because Sansa found it resting on its back. Once it was white, but now the color was off and the fabric ruined. Sansa lied down under it, then fell asleep.

 

The next morning, Sansa awoke with the noise of the door closing. She stood up on her arms to see out the gray coat of the Mastiff disappearing behind a tree. The sun had not raised yet and the light was dim.

She was about to come back to sleep when she saw in the trees other gray cloaks like that of the Hound.

Her sight played bad jokes at that time of the morning.

Hiding herself better inside the car, she searched again for the gray cloaks camouflaged among the trees. She recognized the other grey cloaks because they were cleaner than the Hound’s one but there was no doubt that once his own had that color and shape.

Not knowing what to do, Sansa pulled the blanket over her head, hoping to go unnoticed. In horror, though, he saw a man approach the car. But she saw that he wasn’t an ex-man, nor a mutant and she took up courage.

"Well," the man said, opening the door, "you need help, miss?"

"Yes, I'm trying to get to the Red Keep, there should be my family there."

"We're a part of the City Watch and we'll take you there. My name is Mandon Moore."

Meanwhile his comrades with their cloaks hovered among the trees.

"You have a nice little thing here," said the man, stepping into the driver's seat, "did you work it alone?"

"No, it's not mine"

"Who was driving then?"

"Here's who, our old friend Clegane!"

Sansa saw the other two men holding the Hound, taking him to them. The man who spoke immediately attracted Sansa's attention: she had golden hair and was smiling at her. He was on the left of the Hound, whose expression was rather grim and angry. The comparison couldn’t be more bewildering.

"Are you coming to visit us at the Red Keep?" Mandon asked, stepping out of the car. 

In response, the Hound freed his right hand, with which he punched his nose.

He was also about to hit the third man on his left, who, however, already had a stick in his hand, which knocked down on the neck of the Hound, causing him to collapse to the ground unconscious.

"Jamie Lannister, to serve you" said the man making a bow. "You've just met Mandon Moore, and the one who loose his hold on Clegane is Preston Greenfield."

"I didn’t lost, Clegane caught me off guard."

"Do not underestimate him anymore or you will find a knife at your throat the next time."

"What will happen to him?" Asked Sansa. The Hound had been hard on her but had accompanied her here, it was her fault if he had been captured.

"You're safe now, you don’t have to worry about him anymore. He will come with us to the Keep, where he will be judged for his crimes. "

"If I can ask, what crimes did he commit?"

"Desertion and murder," he replied. "But do not worry, there is still justice at the Red Keep."

"And if you are lucky, you will also find your family", Mandon smiled and accompanied her to the car, while the other two loaded the body of the Hound in the back seat, not without difficulty, and sat to the side.

"Come home, men!" Said Jamie.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Now these boots may take me where they will  
> Though they may never shine like his"

Sansa continued to feel like being in a bubble, she barely felt what the others were saying, she stared at her hands tightly in her lap and said nothing. He still saw the ex-men who smashed Preston Greenfield's head on the asphalt.  
It was only when they got out of the city and saw the Red Keep in front of her that she realized where she was and with whom. Reinforcements had arrived from the Keep and they put the ex-men to flight and now they were all coming back together.   
She was finally safe. Was her family there waiting for her at the Keep? His father, his mother, his brothers?  
He also remembered the Hound, tied behind her and with a bit in his mouth too. He had managed to escape during the ex-men's attack on the car and was fleeing, before he was recaptured by the fortress guards.  
Sansa was unsure: surely the Hound was a half-lizard and was certainly very ferocious. But he had helped her so far, he had saved her several times during their journey. Yet he was running away, was he really going to get help from his brother? It still seemed unbelievable the existence of a big brother, moreover a demon.  
While Sansa was busy with her thoughts, the doors of the Red Keep had opened up and they entered inside the wall.  
They were immediately surrounded by other men, who dragged her down the car without so many ceremonies, as well as the Hound, and pulled them inside the Red Keep.  
Sansa glanced at Sandor Clegane and saw him more raging than ever, eyes flashing to the guards who held him tight. These, though visibly intimidated by his imposing figure, did not let him go. When the Hound looked at her, Sansa immediately looked down.  
They walked down long corridors, passing in front of people who did their work without glances, guards staring at them, and finally they stopped in a huge hall. At the end of the room, seated like medieval kings, there was a woman and a boy, both blond and beautiful. On other occasions, Sansa would have lingered longer on the features of the beautiful queen and especially on those of the boy who sat next to her. But at the time he had other concerns.  
Jamie Lannister came forward from the group of guards:  
"Sister, I have a present for you." and pushed the Hound forward, taking the bit out of his mouth.  
"Watch who has returned among us" said the woman, "but what is the usefulness of a dog no longer faithful? What do we have to do with you?"  
"He killed Preston Greenfield, the bastard!" Screamed Mandon Moore.  
"We all know what the Hound deserves, let's throw it off the walls and leave the remains to the animals like him," said angrily the blond boy seated on the throne.  
" Calm, son, Clegane has the right to reply to the accusations. So?" said the woman turning to at the Hound with a smile.  
"I didn’t kill Preston Greenfield." replied the Hound.  
"Liar! We saw you all on his body! You're a killer bastard! "Mandon Moore kept shouting at him.  
"Yes, I killed more people than I can remember, but I didn’t kill Prseton Greenfield. You find another killer."  
"Some suggestions on who may be the culprit?" asked the woman kindly.  
"You know very well who the culprits are but you have been locked in here as if nothing had happened! You are the liars and the hypocrites!" The Hound had finally lost the last bit of calm that remained to him, so Jamie hit him with a stick and forced him to kneel.  
"Maybe this pretty girl can help us. Who are you dear?" the woman asked her.  
"We found her with the Hound, she lost her parents in an ex-men's attack." Jamie answered for her.  
"And can you tell us about Preston Greenfield's death?"  
"Yes, I was there when it happened." replied Sansa intimidated.  
"Continue then."  
"Some ex-men were taking me away and we met Preston Greenfied and the Hound." She glanced at him and then went on, "But it was not Clegane who killed him, it was the ex-men."  
There was a moment of silence, then the boy on the throne said:  
"What did you do, dog? He's afraid of you and now she doesn’t want to tell us the truth about what happened. Take them both away!"  
Once again they grabbed her by the shoulders and took her away. Other soldiers grabbed the Hound and put the bit in his mouth, then carried him down a staircase. Sansa, on the other hand, was dragged up another staircase and then they took her into a room. They closed the door behind her and Sansa felt the latch snap behind her.  
Well, here I am at the Red Keep. It was what I wanted.  
Sansa didn’t take long to inspect the room where they had locked her: there was a bed, a chair and a table. She lay down on the bed as the tears began to run down her cheeks.  
She revived from the beginning all the moments that had brought her there: the separation from her family, the hunger and thirst she had felt during the journey, the attack before the lizards and then the ex-men, and when she thought of finally being safe within the walls of the Red Keep, she was instead imprisoned in a cell.  
... You'll be like a nice little caged bird ...   
The Hound warned her that she would not find what she was looking for here. He had been cruel to her but he had told the truth. She was still afraid of him but now there was something else too.  
Sansa sank into a torpor that couldn’t yet be defined as sleep, her mind being engaged in such thoughts. She couldn’t tell how much time had passed when she heard knocking at the door.  
Sansa lifted herself out of bed as Jamie Lannister took a step inside the room. He closed the door and looked at her with a smile.  
"I'm sorry about the abrupt treatment of my sister Cersei and her son Joffrey, these are security measures"  
Another knock on the door and another man entered, or rather an old man with a long beard and a box under his arm.  
"Here's another security measure. Master Pycelle is here to visit you. After all the time you've spent on the road, and in the company of a lizard, we must make sure that you are not sick"  
Sansa understood the implication, they didn’t want it to carry contagious diseases or mutations among the Red Keep’s population. What would have happened if this Master had found her infected and contagious?  
"Do not be afraid, girl, it will be a short and painless thing," said Master Pycelle, approaching her. He put his box on the bed and opened it. Inside there were so many vials with liquids of strange colors, instruments that Sansa had never seen, with which he pricked, touched, pulled, in all parts of her body. Her face became purple when he touched her in points she preferred to have remained private and she was grateful when the Master closed her box.  
"You are healthy like a fish, but just to be sure, drink this" He pulled a small bottle of blue liquid out of his sleeve and handed it to her. Sansa paused to look at her uncertainly.  
"Do not worry, it's just a precaution against the mutation," Jamie said.  
Then Sansa took the phial and drank it reluctantly.  
"You'll see, they'll let you out soon. Then we'll go look for your family, all right?" Jamie told her.  
"Okay thanks"  
Jamie then stood up and opened the door, letting in a girl with a bowl of what looked like soup and a bottle of water.  
"So good night." Jamie smiled at her as he held the door open to the Master and the girl coming out. The usual sound of the bolt closing her inside and Sansa was alone.  
As she ate, she wondered what had become of Sandor Clegane and whether they had brought him food too.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Yes and they did take me through the hall
> 
> To leave me not one breath from you
> 
> And they fell silent one and all
> 
> And you could see my heart was true "

 

The next morning, Sansa waited impatiently to talk to Cersei and Joffrey. She would have convinced them of the innocence of the Hound and instead would have warned them about the demons and their army. Then she would ask for news of his family, she could not wait to see them again!

She prepared herself carefully, as far as possible with the scarce means at his disposal. She could see her reflection on the windowpane: they had not believed her the day before, she was herself nearly similar to the ex-men.

She smoothed his hair with her fingers, tried with a sleeve of the shirt to wipe her face from the dirt of the road, and finally tried to slam the clothes out of the window to shake them from the dust, staying only with the undergarments.

In the end it was a little less dirty than before but the activity had done her well to the spirit and was optimistic about the outcome of the hearing.

Too bad, however, that no one came to call during the whole morning. Then she knocked at the door, calling anyone within earshot, asking to talk to Cersei and Joffrey.

Only after much time and pain in the fists, a soldier came to open the door to take her to the thrones hall. During the journey, Sansa asked the news about the advance of the demons' army and he answered with confidence that the Red Keep was impenetrable, in there they were safe and therefore did not have to worry about anything. While this answer would have reassured her once, this time she remained with some more doubts.

When they arrived in the great hall she saw Prince Joffrey, splendid and sitting gracefully sulking, as she had seen him the day before.

Joffrey gently invited her to come forward to talk and so she did. First of all, she asked about her parents, if they had seen them at the Red Keep, but he replied that unfortunately he did not remember anyone reflecting their description but that he would personally inform the men who were taking care of the new arrivals.

Then Sansa, feeling confident, warned him of the army of demons that was approaching more and more: she had met many ex-men coming here and many other times before then. She said that something had to be done and they sould ask for help before it was too late.

"Help to whom? We are only us! Among all the fortresses erected by men to protect themselves from ex-men and demons, only the Red Keep is still standing! But we will not let ourselves be caught unprepared, do not worry" replied Joffrey, self-assured.

"My family and the group we were traveling with were attacked and although we felt well protected ... I do not know how many survived" replied Sansa.

 

"Your was a peasant caravan, we are soldiers here and we can defend ourselves!"

"I beg you, do not underestimate those demons, they are very powerful and their army is boundless. Have you ever heard of the Night Warriors? Their purpose is to protect men from demons, they could help."

 

"You Continue in not trusting my power? You are embarrassing me in front of my men. You must learn what is your place." At a gesture from Prince Joffrey, a guard approached her and forced her to kneel and then prostrate herself to the ground. Sansa did not doubt that the guard would leave a bad bruise on her shoulder.

With her face to the ground, she did not see but she heard Joffrey approaching her.

"The Night’s Watch is dead, they could not help the other fortresses either. They were weak. After I have crushed these demons come to challenge me I will rebuild and repopulate the fortresses." He took her chin with one hand and forced her to look at him. "Do you want to help me repopulate them? What's your name?"

 

"Sansa ... Stark"

 

"Well, Sansa, you do not look sick or mutant," he said, looking at her as she looked at the cattle at the fair, "luckily for you, your time spent outside has not made you wild. If the Hound was stupid enough not to take advantage of you, you will stay with me and give me healthy and non-mutant children. This country needs you, Sansa. "

She could not articulate a single word, she was so surspised by the words of the prince. He had seemed so gallant.

 

"Very good," he resumed. "Expect me here safely in the Red Keep."

  
  


Sansa slept an agitated sleep: thoughts swirled in her head like a hurricane, she saw a young and handsome boy commit the worst sins and atrocities and keeping a beautiful face, he saw it while killing only for fun women and animals. Then he saw a soldier who seemed to carry the weight of so many horrors, his body and face were horrified with terrible scars, surely reminder of many wars, but he saw him as he showed tenderness towards a dog.

She was happy when, opening her eyes, she saw the sunrise. The faint rays of the morning warmed her and encouraged her.

The night left her with many questions, but the Sun was helping her to understand the answers. She was still at the window watching the sunrise, absentmindedly removing the knots from her hair, to which the rays of the Sun gave reflections of fire, when the door of her cell let in the same girl of the night before. She carried bread and water. She put them on the table and left without saying a word.

Sansa did not want to talk, so she turned only when the girl had left.

She reached the table, began to eat, then realized that the door was open. Rather, it was wide open, it had been left open on purpose. Sansa was free to go out.

Calmly, Sansa finished what had been brought to her, then walked out onto the corridor. She knew well where she wanted to go, she only hoped to find the right path. Between all those corridors and stairs seemed an impossible task.So after a while she found herself wandering in places where she had not passed the day before. 

But she heard voices coming from a room ahead. She approached cautiously, until she could hear women talking to each other.

" ... that the army is very close, they should strengthen the lookouts on the outer walls."

"Not only the lookouts, the army of those demons is very large, we must prepare ourselves to support a siege."

"Our Red Keep is perfectly able to sustain a siege, it's big and strong, we have enough food to resist and men to defend ourselves. We'll remain closed here for years, until those out there starve to death or kill each other. "

"No other fortress has resisted the army of demons. We should run away when we're can. "

"You are crazy! Where do you want to go? This is the last safe place we have left!"

"Sandor Clegane knows the enemy well, maybe he would help? "

"No, he knows it all too well, his brother leads the army. The Hound is too dangerous, when a dog becomes rabid you have to knock it down. I heard that they will throw it from the walls, it will make a nice flight."

Sansa had heard enough, so she came back and looked for another way down. Finally, after so much walking, she met a man.

"Good morning. I would like to talk to Sandor Clegane, he was brought here with me. Where can I find him?" Sansa asked.

"I don’t think it's a good idea, girl. Why do you want to see him? "Replied the man.

"I want to see his ugly face one last time and look at him while I tell him that it will end up off the walls."

He repelled the disgust of the lie just said but it was for the good of both.

"Mmm. All right, I'll take you to him. But I'll keep an eye on you"

The man held out his arm, which Sansa took with a little distrust. In a short time, but descending many stairs, they reached what Sansa judged to be the prison of the Keep. The man stopped at the beginning of a corridor where so many dark cells opened and motioned for her to go on.

Sansa stepped forward, inspecting the cells in search of the one occupied by the Hound. Some were empty, others were occupied by battered men sitting or lying on the floor.

She came to a cell with a single man sitting on the ground, with an iron collar tied to a chain and his hands tied in front of him.

Sansa stopped to look better and the Hound looked up. He still had the bit in his mouth so he watched her in silence. For a moment Sansa lost courage.

_ What had I come to do? I was wrong to come this far. _

The Hound stood up, still staring at her.

Sansa closed her eyes and sighed.

"I heard that the army of demons is coming in a hurry", spoke in a whisper because the guard who had accompanied her there was listening. "You were right. I apologize, I should have listened to you before."

Sandor Clegane took two steps forward until the chain that held him by the neck was stretched to its maximum, tinkling. The Hound only reached half of the cell.

"They'll probably execute you by throwing you from the walls of the Keep, but perhaps it's better than waiting for demons and ex-men to come. I hope my family is safe somewhere else, out of here. "

Sansa sighed again and looked at her right hand. She could not remember taking the breakfast knife. IT hardly deserved the name knife, it was small and it cut almost nothing.

The Hound saw it and gave her a little nod.

Sansa then approached the bars and, trying not to be seen by the guard in the corridor, she threw the knife to the Hound, who took it on the fly and hid it immediately in the folds of his cloak.

With a louder voice to make herself heard, Sansa said.

"Goodbye"

She turned and came back to the guard who was waiting for her.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "You danced upon a soldier's arm  
> And I felt the blade of love so keen  
> And when you smiled you did me harm  
> And I was drawn to you, my Queen "

FInally, the army of the ex-men had arrived at the Fortress.  
Sansa could see it from the window of her cell. It was boundless, and only the vanguard had arrived, the heaviest vehicles had remained a little further back. From her window she saw disordered groups of ex-men, demons with the strangest and most frightening features. She looked for what could be the Hound’s brother but in that crowd she could not see him, or what she thought he looked like.  
After a while, looking at the expanse of horror in front of her, she felt disgust and closed the window.  
She then approached the closed door and heard the men of the fortress preparing for the siege.  
There were those who tried to reassure each other, saying that the Red Keep was impenetrable, that they had enough food and water to resist. Others, on the other hand, could not suppress fear and wondered what would happen to them all.  
While she was there listening, someone quickly knocked at the door and opened it soon after.  
He was a guard who took her by the shoulder and sent her out of her cell. Sansa asked what had happened and the guard replied that the lords of the Fortress required the presence of everyone in the throne room.  
Sansa tried, as they walked the usual stairs, to remember the path and mentally repeated "right", "left", "right", "stairs".  
They finally arrived at the throne room, which Sansa remembered from her first entry into the fortress.  
It was packed with people, soldiers and women. Joffrey, Jamie's nephew, was also dressed for war, and had a proud and impatient look.  
There's nothing to be proud of, none of us should have stayed here.  
The guard who held Sansa by the shoulder left her among a small group of women and waitresses, all staring at the throne, then he joined the group of soldiers.  
Immediately the boy began to speak:  
"You have seen the army out there and surely you are afraid of it. But you all know that our walls are strong and thick, and our soldiers are valiant. We will not let them in. "  
He continued on these tones for a while, convincing everyone that they will survive. Halfway through his speech, they heard a very strong blow that made the walls tremble. All the heads came down suddenly and looked around, the maids screamed in fear, even Joffrey showed uncertainty.  
His mother took control of the situation.  
"Soldiers follow the orders of their superiors and immediately go on the walls. Women follow me."  
Sansa was forced to follow all the women down many stairs, up to a very low-ceilinged room. Some women immediately threw themselves on the ground already panicked, while others gathered around Cersei. They asked her many questions about the castle's defenses, if they were good and if there were hopes to resist. The queen seemed annoyed by that insistence but she tried to reassure them.  
As some of them nervously paced back and forth and talked in a low voice to each other, Cersei and some of her company ladies set off even further down that cave. Sansa followed them, and slowly discovered a maze of small rooms with a low roof and all communicating with each other. The first rooms had some wooden bench or carpet to sit on, while ahead were completely bare. Cersei stopped in a room that had a small table and some chairs in better condition than the others and sat down, making a sign to Sansa and the other women to sit down with her.  
Then Cercei made a flask of wine appear with a skillful movement, without Sansa being able to understand where she had kept it until now.  
"Drink with me, we toast to our valiant men who fight for us."  
"They will be brave, your majesty, they will destroy those ugly monsters," said a woman.  
"Our men are strong and well fed, what do you think the ex-men could have found out there to eat? There is nothing left, they will be lean and hungry, an easy prey for our weapons, "said another. They began to repeat the same things, perhaps to reassure each other or to ingratiate themselves with the queen, who however had only interest in the wine. Sansa remained silent, listening to the women and also trying to find some comfort in what she had.  
When the ladies were tired of keeping company with a queen who did not listen to them at all, they got up and, arm in arm with each other, began to walk in circles along the little room. Sansa wanted to take this opportunity:  
"Your majesty, I would like to ask you if you have by chance seen my family. They should have arrived here before me." And with a few hurried words she explained her story, without ceasing to hope for a positive answer.  
The queen listened to her with her eyes shining with wine, then offered her the flask ordering her to drink. She replied that she had already taken enough but Cersei put the flask in her hand, so she was forced to take a small drink. The drink warmed her throat pleasantly but left a bad taste on her tongue.  
"I did not see your parents come in, they probably died. All those who are out there will die in atrocious ways, so I ordered my son to be restored to safety as soon as things got bad. He asked you to become his wife, right? Or rather, to generate his children to repopulate the earth. My son is very strong and does not accept the defeats, he has not yet seen that there is no hope for the Red Keep. We'll all be dead before we know it, fortunately. Because I have a secret up my sleeve, oh yes. Do you want to know what it is?"  
Cersei leaned over the table and gently placed a hand on her arm, as if they were happily gossiping about men at the siesta time.  
"Gunpowder. Dynamite. TNT. All the explosive materials that we managed to collect from this desolate land, as well as others that we managed to create. I have stacked them at strategic points inside the Red Keep, so that when demons and ex-men come in to kill us or make us slaves they will die out with us. Demons and men swept away together with a beautiful bang and lots of flames. We will die together as we were born together. Yes, the demons were men once, did you know that dear?"  
Sansa no longer resisted and jumped up from the table, dropping the chair backwards. The other women, still walking arm in arm, looked at her grimly:  
"But what manners!"  
Sansa did not even hear them, she was so hypnotized by Cersei's eyes. She could almost see the flames she had prepared with so much skill.  
"What is it, I scared you, little dove?"  
Sansa turned and ran away, oblivious of having just turned away from a queen, regardless of the looks of contempt and surprise of the other women, regardless of tears running free. She came out of those low-ceilinged rooms that choked her, she wanted to go out, get away from there. There were monsters out there, diseases and gods knew what else, but she just wanted to get out of there. She ran up the stairs and managed to get to the throne room. As she ran across the room, a bang made the hall shake and a tapestry slipped to one side, hanging miserably from a single nail. A burst of screams of soldiers fighting on the walls followed.  
She quickly slipped into an arch that she remembered could take her out and slammed into someone. Going against a brick wall would have been softer and Sansa would have fallen to the ground if a hand had not kept her upright.  
"You managed to get out? Were you running away?" Sansa asked to Sandor Clegane.  
A few hours before ...  
The dark cell was lit only by the lights of the fires that burned outside on the battlefield. He was tied like a dog on a leash. They had come to the point to put a muzzle on him, as if they were afraid of a bite. And like a stray dog locked in the kennel, he walked briskly from side to side of the small cell, as far as the chain allowed him.  
He had heard the sound of the approaching army, had even smelled the putrid that carried demons and ex-men. His senses made more acute by the mutation, this was an unbearable smell. All his senses told him to uproot that chain from the wall, throw down the door and get out of there, to get away from the men of the Keep, the ex-men and the demons alike. They fuck each other, if that's what they wanted. He would come back out there, he had hidden enough food and water to stay alive a little longer. And you can still found somefood, if you knew where and how to look. He could not wait to have the sky above his head again, and above all no leash around his neck, no muzzle in his mouth.  
After all the pulling, impatient as he was, the skin of his neck had been torn under the chains, and his hand has been torn by clutching the knife the girl had thrown at him.  
Because of her, he had found himself where he absolutely didn’t want to return. At the thought he gave the chain another pull that pressed painfully on the torn flesh.  
He must be patient for a little longer, there were too many soldiers around the corridors of the fortress, the preparations for the defense were still in full swing. As if their wretched strength would have been enough against the demons. He knew that his brother was among them too. Strangely, this thought seemed to calm him. It was already a half-mutant and yielding to anger would only make the situation worse. He did not want to become a monster, a demon. He would not become like his brother.  
Then he stopped his agitated walk. He would have waited for the right moment, then he would have escaped. He looked at the clenched fist closed on the knife as a few drops of blood fell to the floor.  
The little bird had locked herself in a cage and had made the dog run away from his own cell. But it was she who locked him there. He had taken her where she wanted to go, he had done too much for her. He did not want to die, he still cared about his skin, even if ugly. So he had to seize that opportunity and leave without looking back.  
This were his thought as the fire burned outside.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Then I did lead you from the hall  
> And we did ride upon the hill  
> Away beyond the city wall  
> And sure you are my lady still"

"If you scream, I'll kill you."

In her escape in the dark, Sansa had not seen the dark shape of Sandor Clegane and she ended up on him. But his sharp reflexes had grabbed her and locked her back against his chest, pointing a knife at her throat. The knife she had brought hhim when he was locked up in the Red Keep’s prison.

"You managed to get out of your cell."

"Yes, I will not remain here to get myself killed. I'm leaving."

"Leaving?"

"The little bird repeats everything she hears. Yes, I’m leaving, going out of here."

He lowered his head on her, so that she felt his long hair tickling her shoulders, and pressed the knife firmly onto her skin. The contact with the blade made her shiver and she closed her eyes.

"You're still afraid of me."

"Are you afraid of the monsters out there? And your brother?"

The Hound gave her a big tug and made her turn towards him.

"You don’t know anything about me, little girl, nothing. I'll leave you here, as you wanted. I'm leaving, you do what you want. "

He left her abruptly freeing her throat and strode away.

Sansa said: "I want to come with you."

The Hound froze.

  
  


_ "A night in summer long ago _

_ The stars were falling from the sky _

_ And still, my heart, I have to know _

_ Why do you love me, lady, why?" _

 

**The Mad Queen**

They had already told her that her son had been brought back inside the walls. We brought your son to safety, my lady!, they had told her. Fools, no place was safe, not even the Red Keep. When the ex-men had breached the outer walls, the soldiers had retreated into the second ring, but they resisted very little. They had seen Joff being carried away into the Keep and morale had fallen to the ground. In short, even the inner walls were in the hands of demons. Now the timing was essential, no one of those bastards should remain, and if to get this she had to sacrifice the lives of the Red Kepp’smen, it was a price she was willing to pay. Also the life of Joff, her son. She ordered her most trustworthy soldiers (and stupidest, she had chosen them on purpose so they would not ask too many questions) to take him to the chapel of the Keep, where she had hidden the largest amount of explosives. The rest had been placed in places chosen to create the greatest damage possible, to make a clean sweep of everything. You will all die, disgusting creatures!

Mother, why did you bring me here, the commanders need me to win this battle!

Like any other mother, she loved her son, so she hug him as he told her about his achievements on the battlefield and how they were getting the better of the ex-men, before she dragged him away. When he rejected her, because he was a king, not a whiny woman, she pulled a remote control from a pocket of her dress that, they had assured her, would blow up all the explosives at a distance. One of the last remnants of a past in which the technology of armaments was much more developed than what had been left to them. When she pressed that button there would be nothing left. After them nothing.

While her son looked at her without understanding, she hugged him again. In her right hand behind Joff's back, she was holding her thumb on the remote control button.

I need to apply only  a very small pressure.

The last thing she saw was a huge green fire, the last thing she heard was her Red Keep exploding on her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all!  
> The song is “A night in summer long ago” of my favourite scottishman Mark Knopfler.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPzGRprA-FY


End file.
